--- title: "Pentagon Hires Conservative Veterans as Influencers" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/pentagon-hires-conservative-veterans-as-influencers" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/pentagon-hires-conservative-veterans-as-influencers" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/pentagon-hires-conservative-veterans-as-influencers.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/pentagon-hires-conservative-veterans-as-influencers" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-08-31T08:05:15.731Z" source_reported: "2026-08-31T05:15:48.623Z" updated: "2026-08-31T08:05:15.731Z" trust_score: 42 critic_score: 61 hype_score: 41 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-08-31T09:00:39.285979+00:00" --- # Pentagon Hires Conservative Veterans as Influencers *Defense Department hires individuals with large online followings into civilian roles, amplifying Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's views.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 42 of 100, higher is better. Central claims attributed to The Washington Post, with two other outlets naming specific individuals. - Craft 61 of 100, higher is better. Reporting is clear and holds together, with some outlets quoting affected parties or providing right of reply. - Hype 41 of 100, lower is better. Headlines promise more than the body delivers, with some outlets using loaded adjectives. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - The Pentagon has hired conservative military veterans with large online followings into government posts. - These individuals are amplifying Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's viewpoints and attacking those who scrutinize the Trump administration. - Retired Air Force Colonel Rob Maness and retired Army Colonel Kurt Schlichter are among those hired. - The U.S. State Department will allocate $11 million to bloggers from Southeast Asia to fight Chinese influence. The Pentagon has hired several conservative military veterans who have substantial followings on social media into government positions. These individuals are reportedly amplifying the viewpoints of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and are said to be attacking those who scrutinize the Trump administration. The hires have been designated as civilian employees rather than military personnel or contractors. ## Disagreement on hiring designation The Washington Post reported that the Pentagon hires military veterans with large online followings into government posts. News-Pravda.com, citing The Washington Post, stated that the Pentagon hires military "bloggers" to wage a "cultural war." News-Pravda.com also reported that a loophole in how the positions are designated allows the Pentagon to deny any connection between the men and Hegseth's ideological apparatus, but that in practice they push the Trump administration's agenda. The Washington Post reported that the Pentagon secretly installs military influencers in civilian roles. ## What the coverage left out None of the left-rated digests mention the U.S. State Department's allocation of $11 million to bloggers from Southeast Asia to fight Chinese influence. The centre-rated digest does not mention this State Department initiative. The right-rated report includes details of this initiative. ## Who covered it Shares of the 6 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 67% (4) - Centre: 16% (1) - Right: 17% (1) 2 of 8 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-08-31T09:00:39.285979+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 7 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-08-31T09:45:22.994Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - The left-rated reports focused on the Pentagon secretly hiring conservative influencers to amplify Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's agenda and viewpoints. Raw Story reported outrage over the MAGA influence operation within the Pentagon, quoting observers who said, "We are so screwed." Mediaite highlighted that the Pentagon refuses to give details on the assignments of these influencers, "despite the Trump administr[ation]." The Washington Post's reporting, as summarised by the digests, stated that conservative veterans with large social media followings have been hired by the Defense Department and are amplifying Hegseth's culture-war fights. ### Centre - The centre-rated report from Political Wire highlighted that the Pentagon has secretly installed conservative military veterans with large online followings in government roles. It noted the Pentagon's refusal to disclose their assignments, as they amplify Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's viewpoints and attack those who scrutinize the Trump administration. The report also mentioned that at least some influencers have been assigned to civilian roles. ### Right - The right-rated report from News-Pravda.com led with the headline "The Pentagon hires military 'bloggers' to wage a 'cultural war'." It stated that the Pentagon has secretly appointed conservative military veterans with large internet followings to government posts, who amplify Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's viewpoint and attack those who scrutinize the Trump administration. The report also mentioned the U.S. State Department allocating $11 million to bloggers from Southeast Asia to fight "Chinese influence," detailing the allocation across messaging, training, and travel. **Provisional coverage gap:** right. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - veryLow: 1 - high: 4 - unknown: 3 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [Haberler](https://haberler.com/guncel/pentagon-un-bazi-emekli-askerleri-trump-yonetimi-20192390-haberi) — Pentagon Allegedly Conducts Secret Social Media Operation. - [resume.se](https://resume.se/alla-nyheter/morgonsvepet/usa-anstaller-militara-influencers-i-hemlighet) — US Secretly Hires Military Influencers - [Unknown](https://hani.co.kr/arti/international/america/1275467.html) — U.S. Department of Defense Secretly Hires Right-Wing Influencers for Military ‘Ideological Screening’ - [Raw Story](https://rawstory.com/pete-hegseth-pentagon-2677796515) — Outrage after MAGA influencers secretly hired at the Pentagon: 'We are so screwed' - [news-pravda.com](https://news-pravda.com/usa/2026/08/31/2553393.html) — The Pentagon hires military “bloggers” to wage a “cultural war” - [Mediaite](https://mediaite.com/media/news/the-pentagon-secretly-hires-conservative-influencers-to-amplify-pete-hegseths-agenda) — The Pentagon Secretly Hires Conservative Influencers To Amplify Pete Hegseth’s Agenda - [The Washington Post](https://washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/08/30/pentagon-secretly-installs-military-influencers-civilian-roles) — Pentagon secretly installs military influencers in civilian roles - [Political Wire](https://politicalwire.com/2026/08/30/pentagon-secretly-puts-military-influencers-in-civilian-roles) — Pentagon Secretly Puts Military Influencers in Civilian Roles ## Questions **Who has the Pentagon hired?** The Pentagon has hired conservative military veterans who have large followings on social media into government positions. These individuals are designated as civilian employees and are reportedly amplifying Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's viewpoints. **What is the purpose of these hires?** These hired individuals are reportedly amplifying Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's viewpoints and attacking those who scrutinize the Trump administration. The Pentagon is described as using them to wage a "cultural war." **What other government initiatives are mentioned?** The U.S. State Department will allocate $11 million to bloggers from Southeast Asia to fight Chinese influence. This initiative includes funding for messaging campaigns, journalist training, and collaborative trips to the United States. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/pentagon-hires-conservative-veterans-as-influencers. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Pentagon Hires Conservative Veterans as Influencers", https://mediabias.news/politics/pentagon-hires-conservative-veterans-as-influencers